Apparatus for hanging pictures on a wall

Abstract

A wall hanger for hanging an object on a wall via a wire includes a wall mounting member having a planar rear portion for mounting to the wall, a front portion spaced apart from the rear and bottom portions. The rear, bottom and front portions define a horizontal ledge with a first keying arrangement that is accessible from above the wall mounting member. A wire retention member has lower and upper shells connected by a hinge to open and close the lower and upper shells, and receive the wire. The lower and upper shells have peripheral edges with a second keying arrangement corresponding with the first keying arrangement. The first and second keying arrangements are configured to engage with each other when the wire retention member is in its closed position. A plurality of locking members engages and locks the wire retention member in the closed position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wall hanger for hanging an object on a vertical wall via a wire, comprising:
 a wall mounting member having a planar rear portion for mounting to the vertical wall, a front portion spaced apart from the rear portion and a bottom portion, said rear, front and bottom portions defining a ledge accessible from a top portion of the wall mounting member, the ledge having a predetermined width in a horizontal direction and a first keying arrangement; 
 a wire retention member having a lower shell, an upper shell and a hinge rotatably connecting the lower and upper shells between open and closed positions and configured to receive the wire, the lower and upper shells having peripheral edges with a second keying arrangement corresponding with the first keying arrangement, the first and second keying arrangements configured to engage with each other when the wire retention member is in its closed position; and 
 a plurality of locking members configured to engage and lock the wire retention member in the closed position. 
 
     
     
       2. The wall hanger of  claim 1 , wherein the ledge is arcuate in shape. 
     
     
       3. The wall hanger of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second keying arrangements include a plurality of teeth configured to interface with each other. 
     
     
       4. The wall hanger of  claim 1 , wherein the ledge extends from the rear portion of the wall mounting member. 
     
     
       5. The wall hanger of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second keying arrangements are configured to permit rotation of the wire retention member with respect to the wall mounting member. 
     
     
       6. The wall hanger of  claim 1 , wherein the lower and upper shells include opposing grooves which, when in a closed state, form a channel that extends laterally across the wire retention member and which is dimensioned to receive the wire therein. 
     
     
       7. The wall hanger of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the upper and lower shells includes a wire engagement member to prevent slippage of the wire within the channel. 
     
     
       8. The wall hanger of  claim 7 , wherein one of the opposing grooves comprises a protrusion extending normally therefrom and a correspondingly aligned cutout formed in the opposing groove, the cutout being configured to accommodate the protrusion and a portion of the wire. 
     
     
       9. The wall hanger of  claim 7 , wherein the protrusion is triangular shaped. 
     
     
       10. The wall hanger of  claim 1 , wherein the wire retention member includes at least one locking member to retain the lower and upper shells in a closed position. 
     
     
       11. The wall hanger of  claim 4 , wherein the ledge extends from and between opposing lateral edges of wall hanger.